Feb/080
Mysql SQL_NO_CACHE Benchmark Problem
I have been trying to benchmark the sql calls to mysql from an application without success. Even when I set the SELECT statement to SQL_NO_CACHE, the results seemed to be still cached. Apparently, Linux does its own caching of disk reads also. That was giving me incorrect benchmark results if I hit the same data twice.
For those using Linux kernel 2.6.16 or higher, you can clear Linux cache with the following command.
echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches
Unfortunately for me, I am stuck on 2.5.xx and will have to figure out another method.
Feb/080
Open Source Is Much More Serious These Days
If you still think open source applications are just the wild west without any sort of structured support, think again. The Drupal Conference happening in Boston is an example of how organized open source has become. No longer are conventions just for Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, etc.
Feb/080
Web Startup Taking Feature Away From Basic Membership
I have been using Biznik for a while and have been pleased with their features and the community they have built. Changes they have made to the site and services have been well thought out and fair to the users until the latest one that took away the ability to see who has viewed your profile. It had been a feature that was available to all members, even the basic free membership since day one, but they decided to take it away in order to drive basic members to upgrade to a paid membership. It stirred up some criticism with many different viewpoints ranging from features should never be taken away to businesses can change features offered anytime in order to be profitable. One interesting and important point was that taking away a feature that helps both paying and non-paying members connect is always a bad thing as it takes away from the building of a community. Since the community is the value brought forth by Biznik, they are in fact lowering their value proposition to all members by taking this feature away. I am sure it was a difficult decision for them as they must try to increase revenue to keep afloat but in doing so, might hinder their value hence stifling growth. A rough estimate of their current annual revenue is $77,000. Certainly just squeaking by with three people working and technology costs.
Feb/080
Server Sporadically Responding To Pings
Mystery solved. One of our servers became very sluggish in responding to requests. When I tested the server by pinging continuously, request timed out for about 10% of the pings. It turned out that the NIC was malfunctioning. Replaced the ethernet card and all is well again.
Feb/080
zen cart Warning: session_start() No such file or directory (2) in /dir/public_html/includes/functions/sessions.php on line 102
The error comes up when trying to use file based session storage instead of database. Apparently, the configuration for what directory to store the session is not in the configuration files but in the database table “configuration”.
If you upgrade your php to version 5.2.1, the database session storage breaks. Therefore, I had to switch to file system based storage. But the catch was that I no longer could log into admin as the session could not start. The configuration.php files did not have this constant.
The way to fix this is to log into your database and update the session directory record.
“UPDATE configuration SET configuration_value=’/your/new/direcotory/’ WHERE configuration_title=’session directory’;”
System Specs:
php.5.2.1
zencart 1.3.5
apache 1.3.37
MySQL 5.0.45
Feb/080
.NET Error “The password provided is invalid. Please enter a valid password value.”
Using the SqlMembershipProvider, you may encounter the error message, “The password provided is invalid. Please enter a valid password value. “, which is not very clear as to the exact problem. Apparently, the default setting in the .net membership configuration requires a password with a minimum of eight character and at least one non alpha numeric character such as “!@#$%^&*()”.
Feb/080
Microsoft Taking Yahoo To Compete Against Google?
Microsoft just made a bid for Yahoo for 46 Billion with the goal to compete against Google for online ad revenue. It does make sense that if Microsoft wants to compete, they need something much more robust than MSN. However, I wonder if they could properly integrate an internet company like Yahoo into the Microsoft culture. Internet businesses need to remain nimble in order to attend to ever changing end user needs. That is what Google does that makes it so competitive. On the flip side, we all know how long it takes Microsoft to release software. An interview of an ex-employee of Microsoft who moved over to Google stated that while at Microsoft, he worked on code that would not be released in a piece of software for ten years. In comparison, at Google he would write code that would be immediately posted on the Google Labs section of their website and within 24 hours, thousands of users have downloaded and used.
It is not to say that Microsoft is incapable of running Yahoo in the high pace internet manner, but is a matter of will they. I guess we are a ways away from knowing as Yahoo has not even responded to today’s unsolicited offer.